Hi all - because of work, I will be moving to Brussels in about a month. I speak zero French. This may be a problem.
In all seriousness, my day-to-day work will be in English. But I'd like to take advantage of the opportunity to learn French and actually immerse myself rather than stay in an English bubble.
(Also - re:language, I understand Belgium has 3 official languages - French, Flemish, and German. My coworkers are Francophones, so given my limited time I'm prioritizing French over the other 2 languages.
Relevant Background
- I have lived my whole life in the same region of the United States - language will not be the only culture shock I'm expecting
- I've learned Spanish (via school + self-study) to an advanced level
- I've learned Hindi (one of my heritage languages) to an intermediate level (as a COVID goal)
- I'm very interested in linguistics - took a few classes in college and occasionally read academic papers / books on various topics
- I speak no French (didn't even know the word for "good bye" before I started learning)
- I will be there for 6 months
Goals
- Before I go - survival French (basic phrases, can ask for directions, etc.)
- By the end - can converse and socialize normally
- Literature and formal language are not priorities - I love reading, but given my limited time I'd rather prioritize colloquial speech over literary/formal language
Prospective Plan / Resources
Due to the similarity between Spanish and French, the plan is to ladder from Spanish (i.e. learn via Spanish).
- Reading up on French phonology (IPA, understanding liaison, etc.)
- Fluent Forever list of common nouns / adjectives
- Learning top 50 verbs + standard conjugations (infinitive, present indicative, perfect/participle)
- Brulingua (a Brussels-based French learning resource - language is a bit formal, but I wanted my first resource to be Belgian)
- Assimil El Nuevo Francés sin Esfuerzo
- Francés para Dummies
- Lonely Planet Travel Guides (Belgium, France)
- Regular immersion once I arrive (TBD)
Current Progress
I've read up on Standard French phonology and differences with Belgian French. I'm currently going through the Fluent Forever list + top 50 verbs.
I'm able to pick out basic words in songs/videos (stuff like "mon ami" or "dans le métro").
Thanks for reading, and I'd appreciate any comments. I'll update as I go through everything.